Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-10
MEDICAL HINTS.
What to Do In Cases OF Neuralgia, St. vItrs
Dance and ConvuIztons.


Dance and ConvuIzsons.
The nurses duty in neuralgia is to
apply whatever outward application she
finds will give relief. A piece of cotton
dipped in laudanum laid upon the
affected part and covered with oiled
silk will some times give ease. A fam
mel wet with chloroform and applied in
the same way is still more effectual; it
burns like mustard and must be watched
lest it blister. Painting with menthol,
which is merely preparation of oil of
peppermint. occasionally relieves.
Carbolic acid and glycerine, or tincture
OF aconite root are used as iniments.
Some times a flannel bag filed with
bran will quiet the pain for a TINS
The doctor will give some medicine. as
iron. quinine and strychnia or BELLA
donna and probably prescribe change
of air. Whatever increases the strength
and improves the general health will
help rout the foe.
Corea, or St. Vitus' dance, is a severe
form of nervous disease which gener-
ally occurs in childhood or youth. The
face twitches involuntarily, and in
some cases the hands are also much
affected. 1t often arises from nervous
weakness, and some times follows a
sudden fright, blow or an illness. 1t
is generally recovered from with proper
care. The child should be separated
from other children, as they are sure to
increase the trouble by teasing the
sufferer, and by constantly initiating
the movements may contract the dis
ease. The food should be nour-
ishing. the patient should live in
the sunlight as much as possible
and have plenty of fresh air and
exercise in some pleasant form, like
riding on horseback or working in
garden. Sea bathing is very benefi-
cial, and change of air and scene is
generally of use. The medicine or
dered must be given with regularity.
The attention of the invalid should
never be directed to himself; his state
of health should be ignored as far as
possible. When it can be done with
out exciting suspicion the use of
mirror should not be permitted. As
the strength improves the symptoms
usually disappear and in a few weeks
no trace of the disease is left.
Commissions are very alarming TO
people who are not accustomed TO
them. They are rarely fatal, and with
an adult the principal thing to be done
is to prevent the sufferer from hurting
himself. Any smooth object can be
put between the teeth to avoid the
tongue being bitten. The handle of a
toothbrush or of spoon, paper
knife or any thing of a like nature that
is at hand. The clothes should be un-
fastened, particularly any bands con-
fining the waist, and the sufferer laid
down. If the hands are thrown about
they should be held. When the fit is
over the person must be put to bed and
kept quiet for time. Babies some
times have commissions when teething
or from some arrangement of the di-
gestion. If the fit lasts for more than
Il moment the child should be I'M
dressed, wrapped i'll a blanket and put
in a warm bath to relax the muscles,
the head being covered with cloth
wrung out of cold water. The doctor
will lance the swollen gums or pre-
scribe a course of diet which will pre-
vent a recurrence of the attack. 1t is
generally not as alarming as it seems
to the mother, but a physician should
be consulted to discover, and, if posi-
BILE, remove the cause.-E Elizabeth r.
Seoul, in Good Housekeeping.